


Curiosity on the Keyboard

by AngryMintLeaf



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, References to Depression, Slow Burn, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 05:19:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9864650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngryMintLeaf/pseuds/AngryMintLeaf
Summary: You're a successful man, has been granted the career only some can wish for and money to keep you off for years on end.So...Why would you be here?In my office?





	

 

Glimpses of orange, purple, and even flashes of blue is all Locus is able to focus on. He's been sitting on a couch for almost the entirety of the party, and it seems like it'll stay that way for a while. The event was supposedly going to be a professional one, but now, at the moment, it seems otherwise. People sway to the music in the middle of the room, lots of them look fairly intoxicated as their movements are sporadic. His hands, noticeably cold, rub down his face in exasperation. It's been a good hour at the party and nothing- Locus looks down at his fingers, makeup tacking onto his hands. Panic swept through him, like a shock wave tracing down his spine. He looks up, searching for where a bathroom could be. His eyes scanning behind the people dancing and finally comes upon a door across the room, across the mass of people.

 

With an exasperated sigh and coping with his anxiety that now slithers into the back of his head, he makes his way across the room. Only with a few bumps in the side and arm, he arrived at the door. It creaks open with a soft push and the sound of it closing was inaudible due to the music. His eyes quickly shot to his reflection in the mirror, only trails of the scar are visible to Samuel's relief. With a few adjustments to his hair and cuffs, he leaves the bathroom only to meet one of his coworkers.

 

"Oh, Locus! I thought you already left."

 

He shakes his head, "I wouldn't say the thought's still there, though. Good to see you, Doyle."

 

"Indeed," His face brightens with a smile, "I hope that you're enjoying yourself. Even though you never were the partying type," He clears his throat, "it always is nice to find something to enlighten the situation for yourself."

 

"I agree, Doyle." Locus steps away from the bathroom door, Doyle follows suit.

 

"Well, with so many people here it might be hard, even with one of those big shot actors."

 

Locus cocks his head, "Who, to be exact?"

 

"I think his name is Felix. He starred in the hit movie called Shattered Mirrors, or was it The Man and The Crow? Anyways," He shook his head, "I saw him talking to Leonard earlier."

 

"Alright," Locus nods, "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

 

"No problem, Locus. Well, I'll probably be heading out soon, so I'll be seeing you this coming Monday." He smiles once more and walks off.

 

With a huff and another surge of encouragement, he heads back to the couch. Upon his arrival there, a couple could be seen making out, and thankfully, on the loveseat across from the couch. He sits down, eyes avoiding all contact with the two as they continue. Hell, they probably weren't able to hear him sit down with the music this loud. His eyes dash back in mild curiosity but shoot back down at the floor as he sees that the man's hands start to slither under her shirt.

 

"Stop it, not here." She scolds under the sound of the music. Locus bites his lip, maybe he should just leave like Doyle suggested and not put up with this any longer. The girl speaks up again, "Here, I'll just get ourselves some drinks. I'll be back."  

 

The man adjusts his hair, licking his lips as the girl heads off. His eyes flash open, training themselves on Locus. "Well, did you enjoy the show?"

 

Locus cocks his head back, "Merely adequate at best."

 

The man smiles, "The name's Felix, and you are...?"

 

"Locus," He shifts in his seat.

 

Felix's expression falters, "Locus?" Sam nods in response, "Weird ass name for you to have. Aren't you that one pianist? The guy who's song stayed on the charts for a rough two weeks?"

 

"Indeed,"

 

"Huh, alright." He nods and looks out to the crowd of people, a smile still trailing on his face. "You really are one to stare."

 

Before he could reply the girl comes back with two drinks in hand, "Don't drink too much, or you'll get hungover, which you will not want to deal with." Her eyes dart to Locus, a wary smile playing on her lips. She clears her throat and gives Felix one of the drinks in her hand, carefully sitting close to him.

 

"Thank you." Felix chirps out as he takes a sip of the drink.

 

"Nice to meet you," She waves hesitantly. "Name's Alice."

 

"You can call me Locus." She smiles sweetly and takes a drink of the alcohol.

 

Felix, fidgeting with his hands, speaks up, "That better not be what your parents named you." Alice scowls towards Felix, mouth pursed as she seems ready to scold him.

 

"No, it's a stage name."

 

He nods acknowledging, the smile still resting on his face, his eyes still piercing into Locus', and the vibe of his still stifling the air. Locus bites his tongue and forces himself to stand up.

 

"I should take my leave, thank you for the chat." He walks away and towards the door. He could feel eyes watching him as he leaves, sending a shiver trickling down his spine. Quickly, he shuts the door to the venue, the cold fall air surrounding Locus as he starts to walk towards his car, mind piqued with curiosity on Felix. Although it seems unlikely they'll meet again, to Locus' pleasure. Felix just seems to leave a bad taste in his mouth.

  
  


Felix skims over the script, still targeting most of his focus onto what Kimball's explaining.

 

"You'll be working in a new film soon, Golden Keys, I believe. You'll be taking piano lessons for the part, as well. We're currently trying to find a suitable teacher for you."

 

Felix sets down the script, "Okay, okay, slow down. Have you gotten at least a few ideas on who will be teaching me? Plus, the company that's making this film is relatively small."

 

"Hargrove is actually putting a lot of his money into it, so I don't think that will be a problem. He generally is liking this one more than the others, and I am currently getting ideas on who you'll most likely be comfortable with," She sighs and massages her temples, "Why did they have to give you a part where you have to learn piano."

 

"Hey, that's the part I have to be up-to-par. Plus, I think there's only a minimal of 2 scenes with me playing the piano, and they can always edit it if I do something wrong."

 

"Yeah, it's just I'm worried that your schedule will be too busy. You'll most likely have to jump the gun with your lessons as quick as possible," Her face brightens suddenly, "You know that one pianist that made a record of being on the top charts for two weeks? Locus, I think."

 

"Yeah?" Felix hesitates to say.

 

"If Hargrove is willing, we can get it funded. I'll have to get in contact with Leonard Church, though."

 

"Why Locus?"

 

"He's an amazing pianist, as you might have heard before, and he actually seems suitable to be your teacher. He's rigid enough, I'd say."

 

"Alright, then, Kimball. Don't strain yourself either over all this, you still need a break once and awhile."

 

"Thanks, Felix. I'll still look over myself, but this is important. Can't have myself get in the way of it, though. Anyways, I'm going to head back to the office, I should be able to get in touch with Hargrove there."

 

"Alright, I'll see you later, then." Felix watches as Kimball unlatches the door and heads out with a final wave. That was... quick. Felix rests his head back on the armrest of the chair, looking up at the ceiling. He'll be working with Locus, huh? The man at the party who just seemed to have his head wrapped in his own things. A loner, probably; he just has that vibe to him. Strange, as these days have been rather odd, or at the very least, questionable. Alice and Felix haven't been talking much, and when they do, it's mostly silence whenever they interact. For the third time, a relationship always ends up similar to this. They either go quiet, end with a loud bang, or it just abruptly stops. Working on this next film will definitely push Alice away if she isn't already.

 

But Alice was there. She watched all of it go down, and would help him after it. Bloodied cuts, darkened bruises, another broken bone, she would be there to care for him. Maybe they should... keep in touch after they part ways. They've always been fond of each other, even when he didn't deserve it or vice versa. Maybe Locus will help him like she did. What? What does he have anything to do with it? It should be Alice. Just Alice. Alice and Felix, and not Locus and Felix. That's what he's comfortable with.

  


Locus watches as Emily Grey gets herself situated; It was yet another therapy session.

 

"Sorry for the wait, got caught up in a meeting that ran too long. Alright, Samuel, what's the load out?"

 

"I've recently received a call that I'll be training an actor that needs to learn piano for a part in a film. It doesn't feel right."

 

"What do you mean by 'doesn't feel right'?" She cocks her head in curiosity.

 

"I'm not sure why they chose me of all people to do it. I've never trained anyone before, and I'm not sure how he'll handle working with me."

 

"So are you worried about working with him?"

 

"Yes," He nods.

 

"In what way are you worried about it?"

 

"He might not be able to learn it fast enough for his part. I need to teach him in a rough seven to eight months. He's a very charismatic person, and that's just another thing that has me worried."

 

"Do you not want him to get close to you?"

 

"In a way, yes. He's sharp with his words, and just has this way of talking to people that's, well, sly."

 

"Okay, I see. This will have to be something you will have to test the waters with yourself, Samuel, but to teach him, you will most likely need some of his trust and he will need yours. Anything else you want to talk about today?"

 

"I've been having the nightmares again, and I think they're getting worst."

 

She nods, "Would you want to reside to medication? If this prolongs, it might result in insomnia if it hasn't already."

 

"I think I might. They've been so disturbingly real, that it's hard to tell what's actually, well, real or not."

 

"Indeed, that is something that commonly happens with chronic nightmares, but your case might go a bit easy since you caught it again. How long would you say these been happening?"

 

"A week at most."

 

"That's a lot of restless sleep, Sam. Do you think you know the trigger of this?"

 

"The night I met the person I'll be working with is all I could really think of."

 

"What are the most common attributes of the nightmares?"

 

"It's mostly me drowning, or even suffocating in some way."

 

"Well, Samuel, I'll prescribe some medication for you, but I also think that talking to who you'll be working with will help. Yes, relying on your trust in someone can be extremely difficult, but you don't have to rush it. Take your time with him, and in our next session, you'll have to tell me how things are going."

 

"Right."

 

"So," she waves her pen, "Let's start working on our exercises again."

 

 

Felix's eyes grudgingly lifted to the sound of his alarm going off. One of his hands pressed it off, as the other tries to clear the sleep from his eyes. It was a rather rough night as Alice came over, but as he assumed would happen, they barely talked to each other. It'll have to be soon that they split up, as things haven't been going so well. Felix's feet hit the bitterly cold floor and make their way to the bathroom for a quick shower. He dresses down of his clothes and heads into the bath. With a quick shower and a breakfast consisting of coffee, heading out was now the plan.

 

A few days ago, Kimball notified him that it's official of them working together, and now, the scheduling process for the lessons have been successfully planned out. Today is the first day, as it will be held at Locus' place. Thankfully, he gave Felix his number, so he can chat at any time. Yay. The drive over to his place was a nice one, and in reality, quite quick. The clock in his car says it's about three in the afternoon; That means he'll be getting home around six or earlier. Hopefully, it's the latter. He parks in what's supposedly Locus' driveway and heads up the steps to his door. It's actually not what he expected his house to look like, as it's more in a suburban area rather than Felix's apartment in the city. His knuckle knocks on the door and opens not much later to see a well kept Locus standing in front of it.

 

"Glad you could make it, come inside." Locus greets robotically.

 

"Alright," He slips off his shoes at the door and follows Locus to his living room. A small piano rests in the corner as a few other seating arrangements. "So, Locus, shall we start?"

 

"We should. Take a seat here on the bench." Locus motions over to the piano, and Felix follows suit.  "Let's just start by naming the keys. There are basically only seven notes. A through G are the seven, so at the very end of the piano starts with A, then the seventh is a G. Got it?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"These black keys are sharps and flats, but the only exception to that is an accidental."

 

"An accidental?" Felix remarked.

 

"Yes," Locus' fingers demonstrated as he spoke, "An accidental merely means to play the next higher note or lower key, and that key might be both black or white. Here, place your fingers on the C key."

 

Felix follows his directions. "Here, right?" He bites his lip.

 

"No, right here." Locus gently grabs Felix's wrist. The feeling of Locus' hand on his was odd, as his were bitterly cold, but it has a nice softness to it. He gently moves his wrist over to a specific key. "Right here. You'll get it down with practice. 'C' is one of the most important keys for you to know where it is, so keep that in mind."

 

"Alright," Felix nods, "I don't think I would ever see you to be a piano type. Maybe like a violin, or something else, a cello even."

 

"Well, I did play a little bit of the viola when I was younger."

 

"Yeah, that would explain it," He says with a hint of sarcasm. "Anyway's would-" A ringing from his pocket abrupted him. Hesitantly, he answers it.

 

"This is Felix."

 

"I'm not sure how long we can do this, Felix."

 

"Alice?"

 

"Yeah, it's me," She sighs, "I want to care for you Felix, and you know that, but can we just talk? Please, I want to talk to Isaac, not Felix. I know that's dramatic, but I hate seeing you like that. Can you just come to your apartment, so I can tell this to your face and not my speaker?"

 

"Yeah, of-of course. I'll talk to you soon, bye." Felix looks up at Locus, half expecting a remark of some kind. "Don't ask. I just need to leave."

 

"Go ahead."

 

"What?"

 

"It sounds important, so piano lessons shouldn't come first to whatever you're dealing with, so you can head out."

 

"Alright, then," Felix stands up and makes his way to the door, quickly shuffling his shoes back on. "Don't come barging back for me, by the time you do that I'll already be gone." Felix looks over at him to catch a nod and cracks open the door.

 

"Be careful."

 

Locus felt drained of his energy from the measly short lesson with Felix that was supposed to go to six, but to be honest, it probably is a good thing for him to take it slow. He sighs, turning over on his side and looking directly at the couch. The only thing he really has been doing was thinking, and oddly enough, about Felix. His tone change was so sweet when he talked on the phone, not just his charismatic playboy self, but a tone as soft as silk instead. Maybe relying on Felix won't be so bad if he just trusts him, like Grey suggested. But remember what happened last time? The last time you got comfortable with someone was when you got that scar. Should have known they were still heavily an alcoholic.

 

Stop thinking about it. Locus shakes his head, now trying to focus on the details of his hand. The hand that touched Felix's wrist. Why is he still thinking about him? A simple touch of a hand didn't mean anything, and doesn't mean anything, probably never will.

 

The buzz of his phone shot him out of his thoughts. He sat up to reach for it and catches that Doyle has texted him.

 

Doyle- How's the practice going?

 

Locus- He left early

 

Doyle- Why?

 

Locus- I think it was a family matter

 

DOYLE- What?

DOYLE- Why?

 

Locus- Family matter.

 

DOYLE- Oh

DOYLE- Did whatever that happen to get taken care of?

 

Locus- I'm not sure. We got interrupted by a phone call that went rather harsh for him it seems.

 

DOYLE- Huh. I don't think I could ever stand working with Felix. I've worked with one of his managers before, Kimball, if you recall.

 

Locus- That was before you started working for Leonard Church, right? Seems like a good business decision you pulled off.

 

DOYLE- I think Kimball was just stressed a lot of the time, though, and me, being the paranoid intern, didn't seem to help her case.

 

Locus- Right.

 

DOYLE- It's still the afternoon, would you care going out for some early dinner or something? You have the rest of the day off since the practice was planned on being longer.

 

Locus- Thank you for the offer, but I have something else planned soon. It'll take up the time slot of your break.

 

DOYLE- Darn.

DOYLE- Well, I'm gonna actually get out of this parking lot. Hope what's planned goes smoothly.

 

Locus- Right.

 

He sets down the phone and turns back over onto the couch, curling his legs up slightly. As what that important thing is, it's, well, a nap. With the medication he got today, it'll be interesting how it works. His eyes close, and after a while, he drifts off to sleep.

 

Like a bullet shooting into water, Locus woke up. His eyes open wide frantically as he dreamt of nothing, but it felt like a presence loomed over him the entire time he was asleep. Samuel rubs his eyes to get out whatever amounts of sleep lingered. The room is dark and only presents hints of light from the windows. Already, he wishes to head back to sleep, but the possibility of it happening is minuscule. He turned his phone over that lied next to him, the time was eleven pm. Did he really rest for that long? When he went to sleep it was about three. It was nice to not have an excruciating nightmare again, though, but it felt so strange as if the nightmares were happening, but he would just forget them immediately.

Small ambient noises can be heard around the house, like the quiet hum of the refrigerator, or the small creaks of the house here and there. It's all so very quiet, is it not? It was good to get some amount of sleep without another image of how he got... that. His hand comes up to the bridge of his nose, makeup still smothering the scar. A buzz from his phone shot through the quiet of the house. He reaches for his phone, now surprised on who was texting him at eleven.

 

Felix- Hey

Felix- Doubt you're even awake but

Felix- Thanks for letting me leave earlier

Felix- The issue was a lot more

Felix- Complicated you could say

 

Lo- Don't worry about it. Any family business of any sort should come first too, well, anything really.

 

Felix- Ha sure

Felix- Why you up so late?

 

Lo- It is just eleven, not three or four in the morning.

 

Felix- Yeah, well, your schedule kind of disagrees with that as you usually have to get up at six in the morning

Felix- I don't think you're the type of person to pull off late nights on a work day

 

Lo- Right

 

Felix- Cryptiiic

 

Lo- What?

 

Felix- I'm kidding, well, not entirely anyways

Felix- You are definitely having some sort of hellish thing keeping you up

Felix- Haha

 

Lo- Nothing is keeping me up

Lo- Actually

Lo- You're keeping me up

 

Felix- What a pleasure of mine~

 

Lo- I will be rescheduling that practice for tomorrow

 

Felix- Haha right

Felix- Well

Felix- I better get going so you can go back to sulking or whatever you do

 

Lo- Right

 

Felix adjusted in his bed, smile fading and hand reluctantly placing the phone back down on his nightstand. The house feels so empty without a person here, even if he and Alice didn't talk much, it was still nice to have someone's presence. Now that she's gone, so what feels a part of the house is missing too. The breakup wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be, as it felt more out of place rather than anything

 

"You need professional help, Felix." The word caught his breath, now lingering like a bad taste in his mouth.

 

"What? Why?"

 

"Don't act like you don't know. You've skipped several meals, and what happened to you probably still stings."

 

"Why would it? I've grown apart from that." Felix bites his lip, remembering the waver in his voice.

 

"Have you? I don't think I can help you, as it seems like our relationship ended up like the countless others you've had. I want to keep in touch, I really do, but you do need some help."

 

"I don't"

 

"Goodbye, Felix."

 

It all feels too empty now that she's really gone. He sighs, eyes looking towards his phone. Locus was on the other side of that conversation, talking to him like he didn't pity his existence. Stop it, just get some sleep. He rolls onto his other side, back now facing his phone. He doesn't need help, he doesn't need to rely on someone to keep him going. Never.

 

Locus cares.

 

No, that's merely an assumption, just because he said "be careful", or let him leave doesn't mean that. He's lying to him. Trying to get into his cracks and then abuse him.

 

Keep your guard up.

 

The dressing room is where Felix found himself usually if he ever came in early, which was practically never, but today just happened to be one of the first. Kimball should be walking in here any second now since Felix texted her about being in early. The chair swiveled as he looked at the dressing rooms features. A dark velvet red painted the walls, three small compartments that acted as dressing rooms, and the overseeding amount of clothes on racks stuffed with, well, clothes. His chair swivels towards a small table with a mirror hanging above it. Small canisters of makeup are left out from the last person was trying to accomplish.

A knock on the door abrupts the scanning of the room.

 

"It's Kimball."

 

"Come in."

 

The well familiar business woman stands in front of Felix, a few papers in hand. "Why are you in early? You would usually take the time to sleep in."

 

"I would, but something came up." Felix watches Kimball's expressions shift slightly with curiosity.

 

"And what happens to be this thing that you speak of?"

 

"Well, Alice and I broke up last night, and the media is very good at blowing things up, so might as well tell you so we can at least manage it the best we can."

 

Kimball shifts on the balls of her feet and bites her lip. "I'm glad you told me, Felix. I'll try to present it as a clean and professional breakup, and I'm assuming that it was. You're oddly calm to be recovering from an end of a relationship."

 

Felix cups his head in one of his hands, "It's something that you learn to not dwell on."

 

"Sorry, it's just- Ah, never mind. Since you're in early, you should probably get sized for your outfits."

 

"Get something down with the time that I'm in here; smart of you, Kimball. He's new right?"

 

"Yes, I'll go get him in here."

 

She nods, opens the door, and exits. Probably won't see her for the rest of the day. He swivels around in his chair again, As a small yawn prompts his body to relax. He barely got any sleep last night, and he probably shouldn't have come in early being so tired. Felix's head tilts his head back in the chair, eyes weighted with fatigue. The creak of the door startled him enough to sit up and look at who seems to be the outfitter. A man stood in front of the door with lots of 'equipment' and a rather big smile on his face.

 

"Franklin Delano Donut, Sir! It's a pleasure to meet you." His hand extends for a handshake. Felix got out of his seat and shakes the man's hand.

 

"You must be the new outfitter."

 

"That would be me, Sir! And I'm all ready to size you up!"

 

"Please don't phrase it like that," Felix mumbled,"So what should we be starting with?" Felix manages the best smile he could put on.

 

"I'll just have to get the basic measurements, and that should be all I need." Franklin already starts getting out a roll of measurement tape. Sir? Felix could get used to being called that. "Okay, lift your arms."

 

Felix follows all the rather small instructions Donut gave him. Most of it was just to stand still while he took a measurement of his arms or some other limb.

 

"Do you have sensitive skin? There are a few get-ups that have some rather scratchy material, but I believe that is just for one scene."

 

"I wouldn't think that I have sensitive skin."

 

"Good, Good! And there's no material you're allergic to?"

 

Felix's head tilted slightly, "I don't think so."

 

"Sweet, I'm just wanting your life to be as comfortable as possible." Donut looks at the measurements he has written down, "Not to be so snoopy, but how are the lessons with Locus going?"

 

Felix sighs, "It's," He rubs the back of his neck, "It's going well. How do you know about it?"

 

"Oh, Good! And, well, I think everyone in the company knows about this plan. I've worked as a tailor for Locus once, and he was kinda hard to work with. He seems to be the 'dark and silent' type."

 

"You could say that again," Felix says under his breath.

 

"Exactly! Well, I should get out of your hair! It was very pleasant to work with you in this fine morning. Hope I meet you again soon, sir!"

 

The loud and joyful aura of Franklin seemed to get sucked out of the room after he left. The velvet on the wall seems to have drained in color. Strange how well a person can affect the feeling of a room.Just how Alice did. He shakes his head, "Dark and silent type" huh? Felix lets out a small laugh, Locus really is more of a quiet and broody type, to be true.

 

Locus shifts in the restaurant's chair. Alice, apparently, wanted to speak with him. What does she wish to talk about? Allegedly, Doyle gave Alice Locus' number because it seemed like an emergency, or that's how Doyle explained it anyways. Why an 'emergency' is discussed in an elegant restaurant? Locus isn't sure about that either. A familiar woman with blonde curly hair sits down in the booth in front of him.

 

She smiles softly, "Hi, um, sorry for calling this so suddenly. I know you have a busy schedule, but I wanted to discuss this over dinner. You know, like, a comfortable atmosphere. Sorry, I'm rambling."

 

"There's no need to apologize, Alice. Whatever that has come up needed my attention."

 

She lets out a nervous laugh, "Right, well, I'm just going to get to business right away, to be exact. I'll pay for our meals too, I just want to get this out while it's in my head."

 

Locus waited for her to continue, already thoughts of what this was about grew intensely.

 

"I've been informed by your gentleman, Doyle, that you are currently working with Felix, right?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Alright, well, I want to explain a few things about Felix to you. He's changed from when I first met him, and that was when we were in High school. He was always the quiet kid, which is hard to believe. He got in tons of fights, but he'd never fight back. Never did until, well, the day he did. It was gruesome. Blood trickling down his nose, his arms severely bruised, and not to mention what his knuckles looked like afterward. He was yelling the entire time, too."

 

"Where were you when this happened?" Locus spoke up.

 

"I had to wait about thirty minutes for my Father to pick me up from school, and it was usually nice enough to read outside. Most of the fights happened about ten yards away from me. I never always got a clear view, since I read in a nook that was almost surrounded by the school's walls."

 

"Felix was never in a fight again on that day, but he was even more of an outcast. A school year later, and he seemed like a completely different person. He cut his hair, his words were carefully placed, yet always sharp, and his overall physique was so different. When we were in a relationship, I ended up ignoring the thought of what happened to him to make him change so drastically. It was over a summer break, too, so it would have been impossible for me to know, and another thing I noticed about him was just, he had this new aura of confidence. Almost like he could bring anyone to their knees just by speaking."

 

"Why are you telling me this, Alice?"

 

Alice's face fills with sorrow. "I want you to know that he's more than just that shallow dickhead that you see on the outside. He's so confusing to understand and just..." She fumbles with her hands.

 

"Frustrating?" Locus fills in her sentence for her.

 

"You could say that, I guess. He's anxious about something, and you can just feel it. I'm hoping you can do a better job of my attempt of helping him. Breaking up with him might have just made things worse, but support him, okay? Yes, he can get very frustrated at times, but I think he just needs a break. A break of the facade he is always wearing, you know? You seem like a very nice person, Locus, and I believe you will be of help to him."

 

"Thank you for telling me this information, Alice."

 

Her eyes seem to be glossed, but she didn't seem to care. A small laugh that comes from her is so abrupt, "This is really the first time we've ever talked, and it's about Felix. He always manages to get involved with everyone, doesn't he?" Tears escaped from her eyes, but they don't get far as she wipes them away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so emotional over this."

 

"There's no need to apologize. Would you like to call a waiter over?"

 

"Oh, I completely forgot we were at a restaurant." Alice snorted. "Yeah, I can call one of them over. We haven't even gotten our menus."

 

Most of the evening Locus spent with Alice felt forced in some way. That uncomfortable silence that just made the two of them awkward when they were waiting for their meal, or being way too nervous if food just happened to fall off the fork and onto a shirt. But what Locus learned about Felix was intriguing. There was, even more, mysteries about the man that Locus ever expected. The urge to just call him right now was strong, but what would he even say? 'Hey, I know you're an emotional wreck, but I got your back.' It feels needed to just give it time so Locus can get to know him for himself.

 

 

"Hey! Are you okay?"  Isaac can barely hear over the ringing in his right ear.

 

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

 

He winces, someone now looming over him, but it wasn't the people that attacked him.

 

"Oh no, please be okay." The person mumbles again, now pressing their fingers against Felix's neck. "Your nose looks terrible, oh god, I'll need to take you to a doctor."

 

"N-no." He mumbles out, straining from a sudden pain in his jaw.

 

"Okay, okay, I have some bandages in my backpack, but it definitely won't be as good as medical help. I should call an ambulance, or anyone really." The voice mumbles out as more of a feminine one, but she gets out of his view as his vision tries to focus on her.

 

"Stop moving! You'll hurt yourself, okay? Just... stay still." The person leans in, long blonde hair falling in front of the person's face. The hands are nimble and carefully lift his head up as a bandage is wrapped around it. His vision starts to blur, a buzzing sensation filling his head, as his ears ring with the tone of the noise. His head falls back onto the dirt, eyes closing, the buzz getting louder and louder and louder and lou-

 

Felix shoots up, hands fumbling around his face, his jaw, his nose. No pain, no broken nose, nothing is wrong. Just a dream, but the buzzing is still there. He looks towards the noise, his phone's alarm going off. He sits up, grudgingly turning it off and noticing it's about nine in the morning. Felix rubs his face, eyes shifting to the floor to back at his pillow. It was a few more hours until the practice with Locus, so maybe he could pull off going back to sleep. His head rests back down on the pillow, body curling up under the warmth of the blankets.

 

 

Why did he have to dream of that now of all times?

 

Why did he go back to sleep?

 

Quickly, he walks up the steps to Locus' place, slightly out of breath from the bit of panic of being late. He is anyways, it seems. He knocks on the door, now slightly relieved as he answered it.

 

"I'm late, I know."

 

"Just by a few minutes. Come in, Felix." Felix slips off his shoes and makes his way to the piano bench, Locus walks towards a hallway. "Go ahead and practice what you've hopefully memorized, where each 'C' key is, anyways."

 

Felix follows his orders, not wanting to piss the man off. It is, though, relatively easy, as there's a little mark in Locus' piano that's conveniently over one of the keys, and with that, you'll be able to find the rest. He comes back, holding a few pieces of paper in hand, and places it on the piano.

 

"Here's some of the music you'll be practicing. It'll mostly teach you how to read notes and their general placement, as well."

 

Felix nods, "So that's what will be the focus for a while?"

 

"It appears to be, anyways," He moves one of the papers to the very front. "This is D Major Scale, as you can see, each line is a different note, and on the side here, that's how many beats are in a measure. If it's four four time, then there will be four counted beats."

 

"Alright," He nods once more, "I get it."

 

"That's good, so these notes are similar to quarter notes, but go for two beats of a measure." His finger points to a quarter note, but just not filled out with black. "Ones with dots next to them go for three beats, and ones that are just circles go for four."

 

Felix's eyes shift from the music to Locus, as he's slightly leaned in to show the notes on the paper. You can even slightly smell a certain aroma that's similar to a forest.

 

"And you said that I was the one that stared." He smirks, yes, actually smiles. Locus rolls his eyes, grin softening the usual emotionless expression, "Focus, Felix."

 

Felix's shoulders stiffen, eyes darting back down at the piano, "You had something weird on your dumb ass face, that's why." Locus straightens, hands gently tapping the bridge of his nose, "What? Did I hit a nerve."

 

"It's nothing," His face goes brood-like, "So now that you know those notes, the ones that are connected at the top are called half notes."

 

"They'll be half a beat."

 

"Right, another dash means they're even faster, but there won't be those in your music for a while." Felix duly watches to what Locus points at, biting his tongue and just listening to the man.

 

The overall practice goes alright, Felix learned quite a lot too for it being the first actual practice. He stretches his arms, legs a little stiff from sitting on the bench for just about two full hours. He catches eye of Locus taking off his vest and gently folding it, his eyes catch onto Felix's.

 

"I'm going to change into something a bit more comfortable. Are you going to stay a bit longer?"

 

"I might, actually." Felix looks away from Locus, just hears him walking out of the room and gives himself the all clear. He sits down on the couch, eyes being weighted down by the lack of sleep he got from the previous night. Yeah, it was quite a lot of sleep, but it just... wasn't pleasant. He cocks his head back up to see Locus in a dark gray t-shirt with sweatpants on, eyes looking away from him, but at towards the kitchen.

 

"Do you want anything to eat?"

 

"I'll take a glass of wine instead."

 

"That's not..." Locus quietly grumbles yet heads into his kitchen anyways. Felix leans his head back, eyes scanning the ceiling. He rubs his face, mentally scolding himself as his several years of acting has failed him in one whole day just by talking to Locus.

 

"Here," Locus walks in carrying two glasses of wine, handing one to Felix, then sitting down on the other side of the couch.

 

Felix sipped on a bit of the wine, "What got you into piano?"

 

"My father was the main inspiration, and like I've actually said before, he taught me a little bit of viola. He focused a bit more on the guitar and ukulele instead."

 

"Huh, would have never guessed."

 

"I can see why you would think that, and how did you get into acting?"

 

"Parents wanted me to do something after school, didn't want to do sports, so I chose a drama club. That's how it all started."

 

"Was this in high school?"

 

"Yep, that's right." He takes a drink of his wine, "Never wanted to bother with all the doctor's visits if you took sports, so it seemed like a good compromise."

 

"Right, and how did you meet Alice?"

 

"We met during high school, but we never interacted much. After we both graduate we talked a little bit here and there, after a while we just kind of became a couple."

 

"I see," Locus looked down at the wine in his glass, "Would you want to come to a concert of mine? It'll be in a few months, February, to be exact."

 

"Yeah, why the hell not."

 

"Alright, you should get an invitation around a few weeks, we're currently working on them."

 

He nods, drinking more of his wine until there's only a small tad of it left. "How did you come up with the name Locus?"

 

"What?" He looks almost taken back from the question.

 

"Locus, it's a stage name right?"

 

"Right, well, it was suggested to me by a close friend of mine. You can, if you want, call me Samuel."

 

"Huh, okay. I guess I'll tell you mine, then. It's Isaac Gates, use it or not, I don't mind."

 

Sam smiles softly, "That's a fitting name for you."

 

"It is? Always thought Felix worked better for me."

He jokes, a small grin resting on his face. Strange how comfortable he is with Locus, even with only knowing him for a short while, he's comfortable enough with him to the point where he can use his real name.

 

"It does, but Isaac works as well." He sets down his glass of wine on the coffee table, "I'm going to go ahead and start working on a piece of work of mine, feel free to stay here as long as you want."

 

"Alright, cool."

 

Samuel gets up, walking down the hallway, then turning into a room. Felix sets down his glass on the same table Samuel did. It will be a while to get used to the name 'Sam'.

 

 

"Hello, Locus! How's your day been?"

 

"I've been doing well, thank you, Doctor Grey."

 

"Alright, alright, why don't you go on and head into the room?" Locus nods, following her suggestions. He sits down yet again in the familiar room, now with the familiar Doctor sitting across from him in a familiar chair.

 

"So what's been a good highlight for you when you were away?"

 

"The concert got confirmed to be planned in February, and we're already working on the invitations."

 

"That's ways away seeing that we're still in November."

 

"We try to get our schedule planned out as much as possible."

 

Emily nods, her quirky smile still on her face,"I see, so is there anything else that stuck out?"

 

"I've been getting a lot better sleep thanks to the medication."

 

"That's good!" Her smile brightens more, "You just tell your pharmacist if you need more prescription."

 

"Will do." Locus nods.

 

"Alright, then, what will be the focus of our discussion today?"

 

"I'll be seeing my family again soon, especially my mother."

 

"Do you know if she has recuperated?"

 

"I'm not sure, my father doesn't know either. I'm worried for her, but she has stayed far out of contact for several years now. Seeing her again might bring back some unwanted memories."

 

"Do you want to see her, Locus?" Her tone was soft and caring, like a leaf falling into a stream of water.

 

He focuses, "I believe so."

 

"You seem worried if the same event will happen again, right?"

 

"Yes," Locus nods.

 

"It's similar to the person you're working with, Locus, you'll have to trust her that she took care of herself over those years, and you don't have to immediately trust her, either, just take your time together."

 

"Right," Locus bites his tongue, "It will be strange seeing her again after so long."

 

"I bet it will be," She nods, eyes looking at Locus sympathetically, "But you've both grown over that time, as you've taken your strength to talk to some help, got more of your music out there and been able to start trusting in people." Locus nods, mind flicking back to the memories of the recent years, he really has been seeing Doctor Grey for a good portion of that time.

 

"I've also been getting closer to the person I'm working with, relying on him for small things like you've suggested before."

 

"You're taking good steps, Locus."

 

"I-" He hesitates, "-I think I want to suggest him to talk to you."

 

"The person you're working with?"

 

"Yes, as I've learned he's not mentally healthy."

 

"Does he want help from someone?"

 

"I feel like he'd turn it down the second I bring it up."

 

"I see," She bites the nail of her thumb, but quickly pulls away from it, "Well, I think you're making good progress. Locus."

 

"I... would also want to stop wearing the makeup covering my scar."

  
  
  


Felix stared down at the message on his phone, this seems to be the place. He looks up at the brick building, curious why Locus wanted to meet up here, a library. Felix pushes the door open, being greeted by the warm air inside, he takes off his jacket and carries it under his arm. He looks back down at his phone, sending a message to him.

 

Felix- I'm here where are you

 

Lo- In the back

 

Felix- ??? Where in the back

 

Lo- Around the historical fiction, no one ever touches these books

 

Felix- Huh I wonder why.

 

Felix tucks his phone back in his sweatshirt pocket, making his way through the lanes of books to Locus. There he was, standing there cracking open a giant book, scanning and occasionally flipping the pages. His hair was pulled down in a side ponytail, an almost muke warm expression on his face while he reads. Felix hissed at himself, whacking at his forehead. He grumbles but walks over to him anyways. His eyes glance away from the book and at Felix, he closes the book softly and turns to face him.

 

"Why'd you want to bring me to a fucking library?" Felix blurts, genuinely confused.

 

"Watch your profanity, you're in a public place," Felix rolls his eyes, "And I wanted to show you one of my favorite books of mine."

 

Felix cocks his head, "And that would be...?"

 

"Here," He hands Felix the heavy book he was reading earlier, eyes immediately looking at the cover. "A book about World War One?" Felix squints, even more confused.

 

"It sounds morbid, but I kind of always found it funny how so many countries were in tangles trying to win a war."

 

"Course you would."

 

Locus laughs slightly, snapping Felix to his attention, "I never thought of being a pianist in my entire life; I wanted to be a history professor, actually."

 

"Never would have thought of seeing you do that either. Why do you like history?" Felix hands the book back to Locus.

 

"I merely find it interesting how we have grown as a species," His hands carefully trace over the cover of the book, "Why is it that we fight each other when we're all the same flesh and blood? I always find it interesting how we always find differences of other people and just blame themselves for it. No one's innocent of it, we've all have done it as we are built on judgement."

 

"I still don't know why you brought me here, Locs." He crosses his arms.

 

"I want to get to know you, as your teacher and friend," Felix felt his face flush, barely anyone has called him that in what feels like a good while,"Tell me, do you have a favorite book?" He questions, eyes tearing away from the book.

 

"I don't read too many books nowadays, but there is one. Not sure if it would be in this library, though." Felix rubs the back of his neck, "My mother used to read it to me, but it was only one chapter per one of my birthdays."

 

"Do you remember what it was about?"

 

"Yeah, it was something about someone who got sick too much and wasn't able to leave the house because of it. I don't know, it sounds kinda stupid looking back."

 

"That's a pretty mature book for your mother to be reading it to you, may I assume you are talking about 'Flowers Bloom in Windows'?"

 

"You've read it?"

 

"Indeed I have, it's rather old, but it's a really good read. How old were you when she started reading it to you?"

 

"About six, I think."

 

"You should reread it, I wouldn't believe you if you said that you remember what happened at the end."

 

"We never actually finished it, I think, I turned thirteen and she didn't bother with it."

 

Locus nods, "I see, well, why don't we see if they have it?"

 

"Sure, why not."

 

Locus leads the way, both of them staying quiet as they check the several bookshelves. Felix takes the time to really look around the library, as he's never actually been inside this one. Locus bends down, grabbing a specific book from one of the shelves.

 

"Is that it?" Felix asks. Locus turns it over to face Felix, the words 'Flowers Bloom in Windows' sticking out in front of a dull rainy cover. He hands it to him, Felix carefully holds it, memories of his mom flooding back to him. He blinks solemnly at the book, not wanting to move from his place, but rather wants to flip the book open.

 

"I'll check it out, thanks." Felix's grip tightens on the book as they walk to the desk, a man behind the counter scans the book and returns it to him. He has three weeks until he has to return it with a short price of ten bucks. They walk out of the building together, Felix still looking at the cover of the book as they do so.

 

"Thanks for suggesting this, I think it would be fun to read it now that I can grasp the context of it."

 

"It's a difficult read, as it has a lot of puzzles you have to get yourself until it makes sense to you, so I've heard."

 

"You haven't been able to?"

 

He shakes his head, "I've reread it several times, but never got what it was apparently projecting at me."

 

"Huh, that's odd. I would have thought you got it just by scanning the book."

 

"The author writes splendid work, I would suggest his upcoming book called Shattered Mirrors. There's what you could is a preview on his website if you want to check it out."

 

Felix looks at the bottom of the front cover, the name 'Gabriel Menta' stuck out of the illustration on the front. "Alright, I'll look him up later then, but I'm gonna head out, as I have to talk to my manager about something this evening."

 

Locus nods, "I'll see you at our next practice."

 

Locus sits down, papers covered in notes and crumpled up pieces of music sprawled on his desk. The celebration is in no less but two weeks now, and he still hasn't finished this piece.  It's going to be around three pages long, but there's not enough content he can think of to put on it. He has been relentlessly trying to get the melody down, he wants to convey a feeling of, well, trust. Emily actually suggested to start putting his emotions in music to see how it would turn out, and it's frustrating. He can't get this one right, it always turns into a rigid and almost mysterious tune, but it has to be smooth and flowing; not whatever this is. He sighs, wringing his fingers through his hair and trying to focus. He can get a bit of work done before his lessons with Felix start anyways, it's a few minutes, but any amount of time would help with this. Locus sighs, and leans back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. Who knows if he'll ever get this part down.

 

The door bell rings and Locus begrudgingly gets up from his office and to the door. Cold winter air bursts in as he opens the door, Felix on the other side,

 

"Hey, Lo-" He makes eye contact with him, eyes wide and mouth parted slightly. "What the- what is-" He steadies himself, "Is this some kind of joke?"

 

Locus squints, "What do you mean?"

 

"Your face! Where the hell did a scar come from in a span of a few days?"

 

He forgot. He forgot to conceal the thing, the monstrosity on his face. Locus' hand immediately go to hide it, but he already knows. Knows that he's a disgusting freak with that 'x' on his face. Locus quickly turns away from him, making his way to the bathroom, but a strong grip on his arm pulls him back. Felix doesn't say anything, just holds tightly onto his arm, biting his lip.

 

"Just... let's sit down." Felix lets go of his arm, now making his way to sit on the couch. Locus hesitantly sits down with him, one of his hands still on his face.

 

"Where did you... get that?"

 

"I've had it for a while now, it's not important."

 

"It's fucking important! When did you get it?" Felix hisses.

 

"A year ago."

 

"That's a deep fucking cut if it hasn't healed all the way in a span of a year," Felix bites the nail of his thumb, looking off to the side, "How? How did that happen to you?"

 

"I just- It's not important to discuss, we should get to your lesson."

 

"Stop! It's important, Samuel. It's happened to you, so just stop dismissing it. Please, how did it happen to you."

 

"I don't think I ever told you my mother had problems with depression, did I? She coped by alcohol. The family hasn't seen her in three years, so I went to her house to check on her. Then..."

 

"Don't say anything, I get it." There was a stiff silence, only the sound of the ambient sounds of the house. "I'm sorry this happened to you." He mumbles.

 

Locus holds his breath, taking in what he said, "You-you don't have to be sorry. I'm fine."

 

"Don't say that! Your mom attacks you and all you can do is cover it up? That's fucking shit dude."

 

Locus bites his lip, hands fidgeting, almost looking like it's stiffly playing the piano.

 

"Just... Let's just," Felix sighs, "Let's just start the lesson, okay?" Felix rests his hand on Locus', the temperature difference is vast yet pleasant.

 

Felix looks down at his phone, practically scowling down at it. Locus will be gone for around a week or two to see his family. He could have told him way earlier, especially with all the time he had when he actually could.

 

"You don't look too happy, Fe." An oddly familiar voice pipes up.

 

"Yeah, you could say-" He looks up from his phone, seeing Donut setting down a few boxes,"-that."

 

"It's nice to see you again, Felix!"

 

"What is... that?" Felix sees half of his face, scarred from what looks like from being burnt.

 

"Oh, this?" Donut points to his face, "I've had it for quite a while now, it's nothing to worry about. Just got the courage to actually stop covering it."

 

"That almost sounds too familiar."

 

"Really?"

 

"A close friend of mine actually had a scar and accidentally forgot to cover it when I came over."

 

"Well, wouldn't that just make you guys closer as friends?"

 

"I-" Felix blinks, "-I guess so."

 

"It's never too healthy to do that, from what I've learned over the years. I actually see someone that helped me to be comfortable with myself again."

 

"How did you get that, anyway?"

 

"I served in the army when I was a bit younger. There was a grenade blast and I was lucky enough to just get hit by is with the portion of my face! Lucky, right?"

 

"Yeah, that is. You said you saw someone to help, a therapist?"

 

"Mhmm! Her name is Doctor Grey! She's the only therapist that's actually around these parts that's not for children. She's a really great person, and we actually hang out sometimes outside of the sessions!"

 

Felix nods, "Alright, that's cool."

 

"Yeah! Also, how's the film doing?"

 

"It's going well, I'd say. the filming process is actually almost done."

 

"That's great! I sure hope your outfits are holding up right."

 

"They are,"

 

"Great! Now, excuse me, as I have to get these boxes upstairs, so I'll talk to you later!"

 

Felix watches as Donut picks up the boxes and head down the hallway.

 

Emily Grey, huh?

  


Locus quickly put on the concealer over his scar, careful not to mess it up with the shakiness of his hands. It's the night of the performance. The tuxedo suited nicely on him, and it was rather snug when he lifts his arms, but it's worth looking professional. He put the container of makeup back into its place and pulled his hair back into a neat bun. Samuel composed himself as he looked back at his bathroom mirror. He's been working hard on this entire album, and tonight other musicians will be listening to it. Hopefully, after the performance, the party won't go to midnight or later. He does have to be there at seven, and his wanted time to get home was nine just so he could have the rest of the weekend to himself. He stepped out of the bathroom and made his way outside. Hopefully, it'll be warm in the auditorium so he won't be regretting not getting a scarf or heavier coat. Locus got into the car, pulled out of the driveway, and made his way to the building.

 

The drive over was pretty smooth besides the snow on the ground and roads. Parking wasn't a mess either. Locus stepped inside the building, not helping but look at the marvelous decorations. Large paintings were hanged on the wall, flowers in tall vases sat in the corners of the room, and the wood floor was polished well.

 

"Surprised there are not as many people here, right sir?

 

Locus turned to see Doyle.

 

"I'm expecting a lot will arrive sooner or later." Doyle continued.

 

"You're rather early yourself, Doyle."

 

"Well, it doesn't hurt to double check on the preparations. This is a very big day for the company, and it would be terrible if something were to go wrong."

 

"We'll have to hope that everything goes well."

 

"Indeed," Doyle mutters, then as his tone changes to a much brighter one, "Would you want me to help you practice your songs you will be playing?"

 

"If you want to tag along, go ahead, Doyle."

 

"Ah, yes! I've never directly heard you play, but the one you composed yourself I can just definitely tell will be my favorite!"

 

"Thank you, Doyle." Locus gave him a soft smile.

 

"Alright, this way Locus! I made sure to tune your piano to the best of my ability." Doyle turned around and opened one of the auditorium's double doors.

 

"How well did the instrument tune?"

 

"Rather well for its fine age. I'm surprised they have such an old piano that hasn't collapsed yet."

 

"Right." The rest of the way was silent until they made it up to the front stage where the piano sits.

 

"Here it is."

 

Locus took his seat on the piano bench, eyes looking at the details of the piano, Doyle even set up the sheet music.

 

"Any song you'd like to play? A favorite of yours?"

 

"I could always go through the one that took me so long to compose."

 

"A splendid choice!"

 

Locus nodded and flipped to the first song he will actually be playing in the concert. His fingers touch the keys, a sharp breath, and started to play. Nothing else mattered besides the song, the sound, the beauty. The occasional glance at the sheet music, the correct fingering of the piano, and the breaking sound of the auditorium doors opening and closing shut. He continued even with another presence in the room. He could faintly hear the sound of Doyle greeting the person that entered, and him moving away from the piano. Nothing but a minute later were he to stop and look at the person that now sits in the audiences chair.

 

Felix looks at him from one of the seats, his face not breaking any sort of emotion. "Can't wait for your performance, good sir." Felix mimicked a British accent, Doyle bit his lip and looked away from Felix.

 

"I don't believe you should be this early, Felix."

 

"Well, the weather has me pressured to actually get some good parking for once, and yeah a nice seat where I can see what's happening would be great."

 

"You don't have to watch a performance. You should be able to listen and only that to get the full story of the piece."

 

"Well, Locus, I like to enjoy things differently."

 

Doyle spoke up, "We should probably get you at least behind the curtains, Locus. If Felix came in this early, I am sure others will follow."

 

"Right," Locus gets up from the piano bench and walks off stage and takes in the surroundings.

 

"Ah, what a view of this fine building. For it not being shown to many people, they sure decorated it nicely." The room was designed nicely like Doyle said and looked fairly similar to the entrance.

 

"Indeed they have." Locus looks at his reflection in one of the mirrors that were hanged on the wall. His makeup still conceals the scar, and it hopefully will stay on with the heat of the stage. He sighed and turned to look at Doyle. The man's attention was drawn to a flower that sits in an expensive vase. His finger gently touch one of its petals and you could hear a faint mumble come out of his mouth.

 

"Are they real?"

 

"What?" His attention brakes away from the flower as he turns to look at Locus.

 

"Are the flowers real?"

 

"Ah, yes they seem to be." Doyle's fingers rub together. "They must replace these things so often, and they probably don't get much water. They should really be out in the entrance where people can see them.”-

 

Locus nods, "Doyle, I would go stand by the entrance. Hargrove would want to know what you've checked on."

 

"Very well! I might not be back, Locus, but if I do, I'll tell you the report as well."

 

"Thank you, Doyle." Locus watches as he leaves the room and exits the stage. It will probably be ten or twenty minutes til Locus actually goes on stage, why not use that time to look around.

  


Felix shifts back into his seat, his attention was drawn to the center of the stage. An old man, Hargrove, held a microphone in his hands, patiently waiting for the audience to quiet down.

 

"Good evening, everybody," He starts," Tonight we are gathered for our company's best that we are ever to present to the public. We will play only three songs from the album, and the rest of the night will be in celebration. I thank you all for coming out here tonight, and we wish for you to enjoy yourselves."

 

Hargrove stepped off the stage, signaling Locus to enter. He sits down on the piano bench, his fingers already perched on the keys.The music starts fluidly and feels like a dream. You can picture what it's compelling perfectly, like a small pond in the middle of a forest. A woman in fishing clothes stopped walking just to look at it. She sat down, peacefully looking into the water. Her feet on the muddy forest floor made her slip, her body hitting the water and sinking. It was such a deep pond that it's useless to try and move, and for the water clung to your limbs like a lost child, and was relentless. The girl let out her breath; another soul in the pond.

 

Felix blinked out of thought, the song continuing with passion. Whatever this piece was, it felt mystical and empowered. You could barely describe its magnificence as you listen in awe. Felix looked down at his hands as the music around him muffled. His attention drew towards Locus, his eyes closed, but you could tell he was focused and sharp. Strange how different he seems to be when he plays the piano. This has only been one of the several times Felix has heard him play the piano, but every time he plays, it just seems to be new. The first song came to a conclusion and the second begun like morning dew.

 

It's a very fast song, as you can see Locus' fingers almost glide over the keys. This song ended fast and Locus shifted the papers on the piano around where there five papers sat aligned in front. Memories of when Locus told him about the pieces he will be playing and this one must be the one he composed himself. Even if Locus hid it well, Felix remembers how he seemed so proud of himself when he finished writing it

 

Music fills the room once again, and people drew utterly silent. Felix sits on the edge of his seat, leaning down where his elbows rest on his knees comfortably. Locus held a face of focus, his fingers hitting the notes continually just like a rushing river hitting the rocks that sat in its way. His fingers run through his hair in what can be felt as disbelief, or a feeling of happiness he just hasn't experienced in a long time. Felix sat back in his chair, the smile still playing on his lips. His eyes trained its focus on Locus, his whole body looking like it's giving its soul into music. Felix can't shake off his smile.

 

The music halts and the fluttering of applause fills the room rather than Locus' music. He claps too, as he hasn't felt something that moving since what feels like ages ago. Locus gets up from his seat, bowing to the audience. Then, he gets off stage, as Hargrove takes his place on it.

 

"Once again, thank you for coming tonight. We have provided food in the main room and would love for you to stay and enjoy the atmosphere of this wonderful venue," He nods, "That is all." Hargrove walks out of the stage and the people in the auditorium slowly filter out.

 

Felix does, eventually, find himself in the main room, food on a multiple of tables. He softly scowls down at the food, as he walks past it, heading towards Locus hanging around the corners of the room.

 

"Locus-" He pulls on a smile rather than the scowl of his, "-That was amazing."

 

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

 

"Yeah, of course," They stay in a silence, the ambient noise of other people chatting filling the room itself, "I figured out the book."

 

"Really?"

 

"Should I say? I feel like you'd want to figure it out yourself."

 

"I do, but I've also read it several times without it connecting."

 

"The kid's counting," He says abruptly," You know how he can't leave his bed cause he's just too sick?"

 

"Yes, and...?"

 

"Well, he was counting how long it'll take for him to die, as he says something around two-hundred-million at the end of the book. He was about ten, and apparently, he started counting around the start of the book which was when he was three, so it would be roughly two-hundred-million."

 

"That was the big twist?"

 

"That's just what I think anyways. There's apparently forums online discussing it still."

 

"Huh, well, thank you anyways. I"ll have to try to keep rereading it to see if I'll get anything out of it myself."

 

"Yeah," Felix sets his jaw, the conversation leaning towards small talk, "Hey, Locus."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Thank you, and this might sound emotional or whatever, but thank you for just letting me look at so many different aspects now." Felix looks down at the floor, "I know what I am. I'm not questioning myself anymore."

 

"What do you-"

 

In the heat of the moment, Felix presses his lips against Locus', quickly pulling away.

 

"Wonder how the media will take that into context," Felix laughs morbidly.

 

"Felix... I should be the one thanking you,"

 

"What?"

 

"I'm able to talk to my mother again."

 

"I'm not gonna ask-"

 

"I'm able to trust people again."

 

Trust, huh?

  
  


“Hi, Doctor Emily Grey! What brings you to my office today?”

 

“Well, someone’s convinced me on coming here.”

 

“Do you want to be here?”

 

“I think I do.”

 

“That’s good, may I ask why you came here?”

 

“A friend of mine, you could say, said it will be helpful for me, so I can get better.”

 

“Of course. Did you already sign the papers out front? I hope DuFresne got you covered on that.”

 

“Yeah, I did.”

 

“Good! Your sessions should already be scheduled, then?”

 

“Should be.”

 

“Alright, now let's start from the beginning, Felix.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
